Abstract
According to Clark and Wells' cognitive model (Clark and Wells, 1995), social anxiety is maintained by both a negative self-image and self-focused attention (SFA). Although these maintaining factors were investigated extensively in previous studies, the direction of this relationship remains unclear, and so far, few studies have investigated self-image and SFA together within a current social interaction situation. The aim of this experiment is to investigate the influence of a negative versus positive self-image on social anxiety and on SFA during a social interaction. High (n = 27) and low (n = 36) socially anxious participants, holding a manipulated negative versus positive self-image in mind, had a real-time video conversation with a confederate. Social anxiety, SFA and state anxiety before and during the conversation were measured with questionnaires. An interaction between negative self-image and social anxiety showed that high socially anxious individuals with a negative self-image in mind were more anxious than those with a positive self-image in mind during the conversation. They were also more anxious compared with low socially anxious individuals. Furthermore, high socially anxious individuals reported higher SFA; however, SFA was not affected by negative or positive self-image. The present results confirm once again the strong influence of self-image and SFA on social anxiety, highlighting that a negative self-image has more impact on socially anxious individuals. Moreover, the present results suggest that SFA is not necessarily affected by a negative self-image, indicating that therapies should focus on both.
Highlights
Clark and Wells’ (Clark and Wells, 1995) prominent cognitive model of social anxiety disorder (SAD) continues to be the basis for many therapies treating social anxiety disorder
By a marked distortion in how they perceive others see how they feel, by spontaneously occurring images in which they see themselves as if viewed from an observer’s perspective, and by a more diffuse types of ‘felt sense’. In response to these limitations in the current literature, the present study investigates the interaction between self-image and social anxiety on self-focused attention (SFA) and state anxiety during a social interaction situation
The high social anxiety (HSA) group showed significantly higher trait SFA, higher state SFA, and higher anxiety during the conversation compared with the low social anxiety (LSA) group
Summary
Clark and Wells’ (Clark and Wells, 1995) prominent cognitive model of social anxiety disorder (SAD) continues to be the basis for many therapies treating social anxiety disorder This model assumes that social anxiety is maintained by self-focused attention (SFA) and a negative representation of the self. According to Clark and Wells’ cognitive model (Clark and Wells, 1995), social anxiety is maintained by both a negative self-image and self-focused attention (SFA). These maintaining factors were investigated extensively in previous studies, the direction of this relationship remains unclear, and so far, few studies have investigated self-image and SFA together within a current social interaction situation. The present results suggest that SFA is not necessarily affected by a negative self-image, indicating that therapies should focus on both
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